By: Angelou L. Monton, RN - Lactation Recorder
For twelve years, the Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital (DMSFH) has been promoting the importance of breastfeeding in the belief that “Breastfeeding is the best feeding”. It is for this reason that the institution is consistently Committed, Compassionate and Caring to our mothers who are the center of this promotion in developing a healthy community and improved quality of life.
Committed in sharing the importance of breastfeeding and its benefits by conducting lectures and mothers' classes, lactation management training and programs to our employees, mothers and soon-to-be mothers. Last August 2018, sixty-eight (68) lactating mothers participated in our “Dare to Bare: The Big Latch On or sabayang pag-papasuso”. The mothers were also enlightened by the lecture of Dr. Monina P. Quiambao, a neonatologist, entitled “How to Deal with Breastfeeding Problems”.
Breastfeeding is the hardest yet most rewarding thing a mother can do for her baby. In August 2019, in celebration of the breastfeeding month, the DMSFH lactation committee conducted a lecture on: “the importance of breastfeeding” with testimonies from DMSFH employees, Mommy Dawn and Mommy Gretchen. We also provided a Lactation Massage demonstration by Mommy Tere to help mothers increase their milk supply.
We all have been affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic but this didn’t stop us from continuously promoting and advocating for breastfeeding. Hence, in August 2020, we accepted the challenge of the new normal. “Wala’y pandemic na maka-pugong sa pag-celebrate sa Breastfeeding month”, according to Dr. Shenice Razon, DMSF Pediatrics Chief Resident. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we innovate ways to reach out to mothers and babies in their homes. Through our FB page, we invited mothers to join our breastfeeding photo and caption contest to inspire, educate and promote breastfeeding to everyone.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made the practice of breastfeeding more challenging. In 2021, when the vaccines became available to 18 years old and above including pregnant and lactating women, some were hesitant to receive the vaccine. In line with these concerns and in celebration of 2021 Breastfeeding month, DMSFH conducted a lecture entitled “COVID 19 Vaccine: Is it Okay for Breastfeeding Mom?” by our Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Ma. Delta Sunshine S. Aguilar, via zoom and the official DMSF Lactation FB page to reach out to more mothers locally and internationally. We also encouraged mothers to share their breastfeeding stories amidst the pandemic through a short video presentation. Our commitment in reaching out to the community will always be in our core values to empower breastfeeding.
Our Compassion in our patient's health, especially the mother and child are one of our goals. The Essential Intrapartum and Newborn Care -EINC or Unang Yakap is practiced in our institution despite the pandemic to initiate breastfeeding and mother and child bonding. Rooming-in is strictly observed and in the event that the newborn is in need of intensive care monitoring, we only use breastmilk either pumped by mothers or donor’s breastmilk.
The love and Care to our mothers and newborns do not end after they are discharged from the hospital. The health care team, especially the lactation committee provides health teachings with an emphasis on breastfeeding through flyers and pamphlets given for reference along with bedside observation and demonstration of proper positioning during latching. With the help of Information and Communication Technology, the lactation committee created an official FB page to reach out to as many mothers any time and anywhere.
The Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital will always be a partner in strengthening the importance of breastfeeding. In this breastfeeding month celebration, we will give recognition to Breastfeeding Dyads and highlight the role of fathers in successful breastfeeding journey. The mother-baby dyad is truly the foundation of human health and wellbeing. As Donald Winnicott famously said "there is no such thing as an infant..." a baby cannot meaningfully exist outside a relationship or the environment on which they depend; usually this is their mother's body. Mothers and babies have evolved alongside each other, and they belong together.
